Qualitative data collection, analysis, and interpretation

Question 1

Qualitative data collection

data includes…

Answer 1

actions and words

Question 2

Actions are collected by:

Answer 2

observation

Question 3

Words collected through:

Answer 3

questionnaires
interviews
focus groups
case studies
documents

Question 4

Observation:

Answer 4

 Most closely associated with field work
 Structure can vary from unstructured to highly structured
 Participant observation
 Recorded on observation sheets and notes

Question 5

questionnaires:

Answer 5

 Not just demographics
 Not just one or two fill-in-the-blank questions
 Contains open ended questions

Question 6

interviews:

Answer 6

 One-on-one
 Face-to-face or electronically
 Allows probing into answers
 Structured, semi-structured, or unstructured

Question 7

Focus Groups

Answer 7

 Small groups of specially selected individuals(10 or so people)
 To explore attitudes, beliefs, opinions
 Run by a facilitator (Focused goals/objectives/questions, Ground rules)
 Members “bounce” ideas off each other or spark comments
 Observed by the researcher
 Recorded on tape to be transcribed
 Usually about 60-90 minutes with 10 or less questions

Question 8

Case studies:

Answer 8

 Involves one interesting case
 Described from the perspective of the team involved with the case
 Looks at facts and processes
◦ Evolution of the situation / disease
◦ Evolution of needs over time
◦ Evolution of relationships
◦ Evolution of decisions
◦ Situational facilitators / barriers

Question 9

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
Where?

Answer 9

◦ Where was the setting, why was it chosen, and when did data collection occur?

Question 10

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
Who(interviewee)?

Answer 10

◦ Who did they interview, why were they chosen, and how were they chosen?

Question 11

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
Who(interviewer)?

Answer 11

◦ Who were the data collectors, how were they trained, and what did they do?

Question 12

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
What asked?

Answer 12

◦ What was asked and how was it recorded?

Question 13

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
When?

Answer 13

◦ When did data collected begin and end and why was data collection stopped?

Question 14

Critiquing the Data Collection Phase in a qualitative article
What biases?

Answer 14

◦ What were the biases of the researchers and data collectors and how did they prevent these biases from coloring their perceptions?

Question 15

Purpose of qualitative analysis?

Answer 15

to generate knowledge from the data in order to:

Question 16

Generate knowledge from the data in order to what?

Answer 16

◦	find order
◦	find structure
◦	derive meaning
     	Analysis 
     	Synthesize
◦	communication of findings

Question 17

Difficulties with analysis?

Answer 17

 No systematic method or formula for all types of studies
 Enormous amount of data
 Labor intensive
 Hard to keep main points clear
 tend to get lost in verbage…this is why more than one person is needed to analyze.

Question 18

Straight Description

Answer 18

derived from the literature

Question 19

analytic description

Answer 19

derived from the data

Question 20

Stages of Data Analysis

comprehending

Answer 20

what’s going on

Question 21

Stages of Data Analysis

synthesizing

Answer 21

sifting and sorting

Question 22

Stages of Data Analysis

theorizing

Answer 22

develop an explanation

Question 23

Stages of Data Analysis

recontextualizing

Answer 23

could this be appropriate in another setting?

Question 24

Analysis Styles

Quasi-statistical

Answer 24

 AKA Manifest content analysis
 Can convert some of the data to numbers.
 Predefine concepts from the literature
 Fit your data into these concepts
 Simple stats
 Important to find “negative cases” or when data shows disagreement

Question 25

Analysis Styles

Template

Answer 25

	Used in ethnography
	Select the template based on words, actions, situations, etc
	Code data into the template
	Revise template as needed
	Determine the resultant pattern

Question 26

Analysis Styles

Editing

Answer 26

 Also called constant comparison method
 Used in phenomenology and grounded theory
 Sort data and identify meaningful segments
 Code the data
 Look for emerging themes and patterns
 Determine structure of how themes and/or patterns relate
 Compare with the literature

Question 27

Analysis Styles

Immersion or Crystalization

Answer 27

 Used with case histories
 Become totally immersed into the data.
 Explore until main point crystallizes.

Question 28

Analysis Styles

Triangulation

Answer 28

 Combined use of two or more theories, methods, data sources, investigators or analysis methods in the study of a single phenomena.
 Must use a proper design from each tradition
◦ Descriptive correlational design with phenomenology added
 Must all have the same foci.
 Use two or more analysis techniques

Question 29

General Procedures for Data Management

Comprehending

Answer 29

◦ Decide on method
◦ Read the data
◦ Re-read the data
◦ Get a “big picture” grasp of the ideas held in the data

Question 30

General procedures for data management

Synthesizing

Answer 30

◦ Be alert for themes
◦ Develop initial codes
◦ Code each unit of the data
◦ Reduce the data to manageable pieces

Question 31

General Procedures for Data Management

Theorizing

Answer 31

◦ Identify themes, patterns, etc

Question 32

General Procedures for data management

Recontextualizing

Answer 32

◦ put into a different context

Question 33

Strategies for interpretation (there are lots and lots and lots…)

Answer 33

	Note patterns/themes
	Plausibility
	Clustering
	Making metaphors
	Counting
	Making contrasts/comparisions
	Partitioning variables
	Moving from particular to general
	Factoring
	Noting relationships
	Finding intervening (extraneous) variables 
	Logical chain of evidence
	Conceptual/theoretical coherence

Question 34

Trustworthy interpretations

Credible

Answer 34

◦ Authentic and truthful account

◦ Clean study design

Question 35

Trustworthy interpretations

Confirmable

Answer 35

◦ Clear paper trail

◦ Accurate process

Question 36

Trustworthy interpretations

Dependable

Answer 36

◦ Consistent findings
◦ Sufficient findings
◦ Logical interpretation of findings

Question 37

Trustworthy interpretations

Transferable

Answer 37

◦ Usefulness in another, similar setting

Question 38

Have a good balance when critiquing…

Answer 38

should be objective, thoughtful, and balanced

should be judicious and kind